Can 'Smart Gun' Technology Help Prevent Violence?

This 9 mm semi-automatic handgun is configured with transducers in its handle that can detect the grasp of an authorized user.
New Jersey Institute of Technology/AP This 9 mm semi-automatic handgun is configured with transducers in its handle that can detect the grasp of an authorized user.New Jersey Institute of Technology/AP
For years, many have dreamed of so-called smart guns, weapons that know their rightful owner and won't fire in the wrong hands. Think James Bond's gun in Skyfall
.
A few major gun makers experimented with smart guns in the 1990s, but none came to market. Since then, it's been the domain of entrepreneurs and inventors.
Developers And Technologists
Jonathan Mossberg's company developed what he calls the iGun. It fires only if it recognizes a ring on a finger. The ring has a black square made of onyx and contains codes that identify the owner.
"It's totally inert. There's no batteries, nothing. Totally waterproof," Mossberg says.
Robert McNamara's TriggerSmart prototypes use radio frequency ID, the kind of technology stores use to track merchandise.
The gun looks for the RFID tag in a ring, bracelet, or, if this isn't too science fiction for you, it's embedded under your skin.